Rolling-mill.



W. J. HAMPTON & W. H. RITTS.

ROLLING MILL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-18,1916. 1,251,514, Patented Jan. 1, 191&

4 SHEETS$HEET WITNES ES an. *AwXil/ZAMI.

l VENTORS W. J. HAMPTON & W. H. RITTS.

ROLLING MILL- APPLICATION FILED DEC-18.1916- 0Q 11 mm, 9T a n 1 .ww n4.w ow P IM- I W. J. HAMPTON & W. H. RITTS.

ROLLING MILL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.I8. 191s.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 wldfvll INVENTORS WITNESSES d .W. 226

W. .I. HAMPTON & W. H. RITTS.

ROLLING MILL.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 18, 1916- Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 WI NESSES UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. HAMPTON, 0F PITTSBURGH, AND WILLIAM H. RITTS, OF ETNA, PENNSYL- VANIA, ASSIGNORS TO SPANG, CHALFANT AND 00., INCORPORATED, 0FPITTS- BURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ROLLING-MILL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

Application filed December 18, 1916. Serial No. 137,491.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM J. HAMP- TON and lVILLIAM H. Rrr'rs,citizens of the United States, and residents of Pittsburgh and Etna,respectively in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Rolling-Mills; and we do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof.

Our invention pertains to rolling mills, that is, to mills comprising aplurality of rolls through which a billet of steel is passedsuccessively, thereby to form said billet into an elongated plate orsheet.

Rolling mills of the kind referred to, as now in use, generally consistof a plurality of sets of rolls, there being usually three of such sets,generally known as the roughing rolls, the strand rolls, and thefinishing rolls. The set of roughing rolls ordinarily comprises threerolls disposed one above the other, these rolls usually having aplurality of passes arranged one beside the other. In some instances,the strand rolls have two or four passes, one above the other. In otherinstances, the strand rolls have an odd number of passes depending uponthe ultimate direction which it is desired that the billet shall take.Usually, the billet is first carried through the pass between the bottomroughing roll and the center roughing roll, and is then carried backthrough the pass between the center roughing roll and the upper roughingroll; it is then carried back through a pass, arranged beside the firstpass, between the bottom roughing roll and the center roughing roll, andthen back through a similar pass between the center roughing roll andthe top roughing roll. The four passes between the roughing rolls may besufficient; but sometimes a billet may go through six passes of theserolls. From the roughing rolls the partly rolled plate is transferred tothe strand rolls; and it is carried to and fro between these rolls, inthe same way as in the case of the rough ing rolls. The nearly finishedplate is then transferred to the finishing rolls, through which it ispassed once, and then carried on to a suitable shearing device or thelike.

It is an object of the present invention to improve generally uponrolling mills broadly of the type referred to above. It is anotherobject of the invention to provide a simple, eflicient, andquicklypperating means for changing the direction of the billet afterthe same has passed through the rolls, thereby to permit it to go backthrough the rolls in the opposite direction.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a simple, efficient,and quickly-operating means-for raising the billet from a position inwhich it has just come through a lower pass of the rolls, into aposition from which it may go through an upper pass of the rolls. It isa further object of the invention to provide an improved means fortransferring the billet from a position in which it has gone through anupper pass of the rolls into a position from which it may go through alower pass of the rolls.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a simple,quickly-operating, and efficient means for changing the direction ofmovement of the partly finished plate after the same has been carriedthrough a lower pass of a set of rolls, and bring it into a position forgoing through an upper pass of such set of rolls.

It is a still further object of the invention generally to provideimproved means for changing the direction of movement of the billet, inthe various stages of its transformation into a finished plate, fortransferring itfrom and to upper and lower passes of any one set ofrolls, and for transferring it from one set of rolls to another. Andother and further objects of the invention will appear from thefollowing specification taken in connection with the claims annexedthereto.

A rolling mill constructed in accordance with our invention isdescribed, by way of example, in the following specification and isshown in the accompanying drawings. It is especially to be understood,however, that the invention may be embodied in other forms, and thatchanges may be made in the form described and shown, without exceedingthe scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan of a rolling mill constructed in accordance with ourinvention;

Fig. 2 is a partial section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 22of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a partial section, on an enlarged, scale, taken on the line 33of Fig. a, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a partial transverse section, on an enlarged scale, taken onthe lines H of Figs. 1 and 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a partial section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 5-5of Fig. 1, lookingin the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a partial section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 6-6of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view, showing the means for actuating thepinch rolls for makin the final pas through the roughing rolls. t edevice being seen as from the line 7-7 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view showing the means for actuating thepinch rolls for effecting the first pass through the strand rolls andthe first pas through the finishing rolls, the mechanism being viewed asseen from the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the followingspecification and the several figures of the accompanying drawing.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 6, A indicates the roughingrolls, supported in the ordinary bearings, and rotated in the usualmanner. In the embodiment of our invention now being described, thereare three of these roughing rolls, A, A and A respectively. These rollsare formed with three sets of passes, which are indicated on the drawingas a, b, and 0, each set comprising an upper pass and a lower pass. Theupper pass 0 is more constricted than the lower pass 0, which latter, inturn, is more constricted than the upper pass 6. The passes become, inturn, less constricted, until the lower pass a is reached, which is theleast constricted of all. It will be seen that as a billet is carriedforward through the lower pass a, backward through the upper pass a,forward through the lower-pass b, backward through the upper pass 6,forward through the lower pass 0, and backward through the upper pass 0,it will be rolled out to a lesser thickness at each pass. Upon leavingthe roughing rolls, the partly rolled plate is transferred to the strandrolls B. These strand rolls B comprise three rolls B, B and B In theembodiment now being described the strand rolls are formed with two setsof passes, 01 and e, each set comprising an upper and a lower pass. Theupper pass 12 is more constricted than the lower pass all; but thepasses e are identical with the passes 03, so as to permit the passes eto be used when the rolls are worn at the passes d. The passage of thepartly finished plate forward through the lower pass d, and backwardthrough the upper ass d. further elongates the plate and furt er reducesits thickness. The plate is then transferred to the fini'shin rolls,which consist of a pair of rolls C dlsposed one above the other, theplate simply passing forward between these rolls.

At the front side of the machine,-e'. e. at the side from which thebillet first enters the rolls,a plurality of feed rolls 10 are mountedupon a suitable supporting structure. These rolls are continuouslyrotated by a suitable motor and caring, indicated at 11, such as thosehereto ore in use in mills of this character. The billet f is removedfrom the furnace and placed upon the rotating rolls 10, which carry itforward to the lower pass a of the roughing rolls A, A

the billet being thus seized between the roughing rolls A and A andcarried through the same, thereby making its first pass.

On the rearward side of the machine there are provided three forwardingrolls 12, 13 and 1 1, respectively (Fig. 2), which rotate in the samedirection as the rolls 10. The roll 12 is placed on a higher plane thanthe roughing roll A the roll 13 being likewise placed on a higher planethan the roll 12, and the roll 14 being placed on a higher plane thanthe roll 13. Thus the rolls 12, 13 and 14, together with inclinedintermediate shelves 12 and 13 placed between them, form an inclinedguide, up which the billet is carried after passing between the roughingrolls A and A Beyond the forwarding rolls 12, 13 and 14 are placed threereturning rolls 15, 16 and 17, respectively, which are rotated in theopposite direction to that of the forwarding rolls. The rolls 15, 16 and17 are arranged in the same plane with each other; and a continuation ofthis plane is formed by a table 18 which has adjustably mounted thereona support 19 for a spring buffer 20. Placed above the forwarding rolls12 and 13 are two further returning rolls 21 and 22. The returning rolls21 and 22 rotate in the same direction as the returning rolls 15, 16 and17, but are placed upon a higher plane than these last. A shelf 23 isdisposed between the returning rolls 21 and 22; and a guide roll 24 isplaced immediately in front of the roll 21. The returning rolls 21 and22, the shelf 23, and the guide roll 2%, are all mounted upon a standard25 suitably supported from the main structure.

After the billet f makes its first pass, through the lower pass abetween the roughing rolls A and A, its front end is carried earers ontothe forwarding roll12, and thence,

over the shelf 12*, onto the forwarding roll,

13. These'rolls, with the forwarding roll 14, carry the billet forwardin an upwardly 1nclined direction. Thus the billet will reach a positionsuch as that indicated in full lines in Fig. 2. After the billet hasbeen moved farther forward from the position shown in Fig. 2, itsuppermost end will overbalance its lowermost end. permitting itsuppermost end to fall upon the returning rolls 15, 16 and 17. Themomentum of the billet will carry it forward until it strikes theresilient buffer 20, which will give the billet an impulse in the returndirection. The returning rolls 15, 16 and 17, rotating in a directionopposite to that of the forwarding rolls, will cause the billet to moveback over the path that it has already traversed, until its end strikesthe guide roll 24. (See dotted line position, Fig. 2.) WVhen the billetstrikes the guide roll 24, its front end is directed upwardly onto thereturning roll 21. The billet f is thus carried upward onto thereturning rolls 21 and 22, and is thereby directed into the up er passa, between the roughing rolls A anc A thereby making its second pass.

After being carried through the upper pass a, between the roughing rollsA and A the billet f is received upon a transferring device 26 (Figs. 1,3 and 4). This transferring device consists of a plurality of feet 27which are secured, by bolts 28, in transverse grooves 29 formed in aplurality of shelves 30, one of which shelves is disposed between eachof the feed-rolls 10. The connection of the feet 27 with the shelves 30is such as to permit of transverse adjustment of the feet with respectto the shelves. Com necting between the feet is an elongated web 31,from which extends upwardly and outwardly an inclined slideway-portion32. A horizontal shelf-portion 33 projects outwardly from the upper partof the slidewayportion 32, and terminates in a vertical guideportion 34.

As the billet f emerges from the upper pass a between the roughing rollsA, and A having made its second pass, its front end comes upon the shelfportion 33 of the transferring device 26, as shown in full lines in Fig.4. The shelf portion 33 is less in width than one-half the width of thebillet 7', so that when the billet has become freed from the roughingrolls, it will fall into the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig.4, and will thence slide down the slidewayportion 32 onto the feed rolls10. The billet is thus transferred from the plane of the upper passes ofthe roughing rolls to the plane of the lower passes of the latter. Theupright web 31 of the transferring device 26 also serves as a guide forproperly directing the billet, prior to its first pass, into the lowerpass a.

Upon falling from the transferring device 26 onto the feed rolls 10, thebillet is fed forward by these continuously rotating rolls, and is thusdirected into the lower pass 6 between the roughing rolls A and A Uponbeing carried through the'rolls, thus making its third pass, the billetagain rides up the forwarding rolls 12, 13 and 14, overbalances, fallsupon the returning rolls 15, 16 and 17 and strikes a second resilientbuffer 35 on the table 1.8, the buffer 35 being situated farther backthan the buffer 20, to allow for the increased length of the billet. Thebuffer 35 gives a returning impulse to the billet, which latter is thencarried back ward by the returning rolls 15, 16 and 17 onto thereturning rolls 21 and 22, which latter feed the billet into the upperpass 6, between the roughing rolls A and A Upon emerging from the rolls,having thus made its fourth pass, the billet comes onto a transferringdevice 26*, which is of a similar construction to the transferringdevice 26, and includes an upright web 31*, a slideway-portion 32*, ashelf portion 33*, and a. guide portion 34*. The transferring device 26is longer than the transferring device 26, to accommodate the increasedlength of the billet. In the manner which has been described above inconnection with the transferring device 26. the billet is againtransferred to the feed rolls 10. The web portion 31 of the transferringdevice 26 forms a guide for properly directing the billet, in its thirdpass, into the lower pass I). Likewise, the guide portion 34 of thetransferring device 26 operates as a guide for the billet during itsemergence, on its second pass, from the upper pass a.

Upon the billet 7 being delivered, by the transferring device 26, to thecontinuously rotating feed rolls 10, it is fed, by these rolls, to thelower pass 0, between the roughing rolls A and A The billet is carriedthrough the rolls, thus making its fifth pass. Although still referredto, for convenience, as a billet, the metal has now assumed the shape ofan elongated and relatively thin sheet. The billet, in this form, doesnot have the stiffness which it had in its original shorter form; and itis not desirable further solel to rely upon its mere lying on the forwaring and returning rolls for effecting its forwarding and returnmovement. For greater certainty of action, therefore, pinchrolls areprovided for moving the billet after the same has perfected its fifthpass.

The pinch-rolls associated with the roughing rolls are shown in Fig. 5.They consist of rolls 36 and 37 mounted one at each end of a balance arm38. The balance arm 38 is rockably mounted, at its center, on a shaft alink-4l (Fl 7) with a head 42 carried by a piston re 43. The piston ofthe rod 43 moves in a steam cylinder 44, which is governed by a slidevalve contained in a valve chamber 45. The stem 46 of the slide valve isconnected, by an arm 47, with a shaft 48 which extends across themachine to the outer side thereof, and there carries an operating lever49. By shifting the lever 49 in one direction, the side valve is movedto admit steam to the front side of the piston in the cylinder 44. Thisresults in a rearward movement of the piston rod 48, which causes thebalance arm 88 to be rocked so as to bring the pinch-roll 36 intooperative relation with the forwarding roll 14. By moving the lever 49in the opposite direction, steam is admitted to'the rear side of thepiston, and the piston rod 43 is caused to move forward, whereby thebalance arm 38 is made to rock in the 0 posite direction, to bring thepinch-roll 3 into operative relation with the returning roll 16. A manis stationed at the lever 49, to operate the pinch-rolls as each billetcomes to them through the lower pass 0 of the roughing rolls.

Upon the billet 7 being transferred, from the transferring device 26 tothe continuously rotating feed rolls 10, these latter present it to thelower pass 0, between the roughing rolls A and A The billet is carriedthrough these rolls, thereby making its fifth pass, and rides up theforwarding rolls 12, 13 and 14. As soon as the front end of the billetreaches the forwarding roll 14, the lever 49 is operated to cause thepinchroll 36 to. descend upon the billet and hold it firmly against suchforwarding roll. (See full lines Fig. 5.) The forwarding roll 14, withthe billet thus forcibly clamped against it, is able thereafter tocontinue the forwarding movement of the billet. As soon as the rear endof the billet reaches the pinchroll 36, the lever 49 is operated tocause the pinch-roll 37 to descend upon the billet and hold it firmlyagainst the returning roll 16. When this happens, the returning roll 16,having the billet thus firmly clamped against it, will cause the latterto move in the opposite direction and be carried up onto the returningrolls 21 and 22 (see dotted lines Fig.

.5). The returning rolls 21 and 22 present the billet to the upper passa, between the roughing rolls A and A, between which rolls it iscarried, thereby completing its sixth pass.

As the billet emerges from the upper pass 0, between the roughing rollsA and A, it is received upon a table 50, the latter being supported uponthe ends of a plurality of transverse rails 51. These rails 51 arecarried by a pair of I-beams 52, supported by the main structure. Thetable 50 is provided along its edge with an upright guide eaters 53,which serves to guide the billet as it comes out from the upper pass a,and also serves to guide the opposite edge of the billet as it comes outfrom the upper pass 5 on completing its fourth pass.

W hen the billet reaches the table 50, the operations upon it have beencompleted, so far as the roughing rolls are concerned. The billet hasthe form of an elongated, relatively thin strip, which, being white hot,is quite flexible. The operations of the roughing rolls have beendescribed as consisting of six passes. However, this may be varied. Forinstance, only four passes may be used, the billet being carried twiceto and fro between the roughing rolls. When only four passes are used,the pinchrolls will ordinarily be employed prior to the fourth pass. I

The rails 51 extend across the machine from the roughing rolls A to thestrand rolls These rails terminate in downwardly inclined portions 54,forming a sloping surface, the lower ends of these downwardly inclinedportions 54 terminating at a feed table 55 placed in the front of thestrand rolls B. Extending diagonally across one side of the machine, atthe end of the receiving table 50, is a plate 56 having, at its outeredge, an upwardly-extending guide 57. After the billet has come out ontothe receiving table 50, from the upper pass 0 of the roughing rolls, itis manually pulled across the rails 51 and allowed to slide down theslope formed by the inclined portions 54. In this way the billet isbrought onto the feed table 55 for the strand rolls. The inclined guidewall 57 of the plate 56 assists in this transfer.

A longitudinal guide 57 is provided upon the feed table 55, and isplaced in such a position that when the billet is pulled against it, thebillet will be in proper position for entering the lower pass (5 betweenthe strand rolls B and B The top surface of a feed roll 58 extendsthrough the feed table 55, this feed roll rotating in such a directionas to cause the billet to be moved toward the strand rolls. With thefeed roll 58 cotiperates a pinch roll 59 which is moved down, to pressthe billet against the roll 58, as soon as the billet is brought intoposition upon the feed table 55. The means for operating this pinch roll59 will be described below. As soon as the billet has been brought uponthe feed table 55, and the pinch roll 59 has been operated, to force thebillet into close engagement with the feed roll 58, this latter rollcauses the billet to move forward into the lower pass 01, between thestrand rolls B and B. The billet is then carried through these strandrolls, thus effecting its seventh pass.

Upon being carried through the lower pass (1 of the strand rolls, thebillet emerges upon an upwardly inclined table 60, which is carried uponI-beams 61 supported from the main structure of the machine. Beyond theend of the table there are provided a forwarding roll 62 and a pair ofreturning rolls 68 and 64. With the forwarding roll 62 and the returningroll 64 coiiperate a pair of pinch rolls 65 and 66, the same beingmounted upon a balance arm 67, which is operated by a device which issimilar to the device described in connection with pinch rolls 36 and37, the same being controlled by an operating lever 68, placed besidethe operating lever 49 so that the same workman can attend to theoperation of both levers. Hingedly connected with a transverse shelf 69connected across the uprights of the frame work of the strand rolls B isa chute plate 70. This chute plate is flared outwardly from its upper toits lower end and is provided with upwardly extending side members 71,thereby properly to receive the billet, in the return movement of thelatter, and direct it to the upper pass d between the strand rolls B andB Likewise the table 60 is provided with an upright guide 72 fordirecting the billet properly to and from the pinch rolls.

As the billet comes out onto the table 60, and as soon as its endreaches the forwarding rolls 62, the workman operates the lever 68 insuch a way as to cause the pinch roll 65 to descend upon the billet andgrip it firmly against the forwarding roll 62. In coming to theforwarding roll 62, the billet forces its way under the chute plate 70,lifting the latter somewhat about its pivot in its hinged connectionwith plate or shelf 69. WVhen the rear end of the billet has passedbeyond the end of the chute plate 7 O, the workman operates the lever 68in such .a way as to cause the pinch roll 66 to grip the billet againstthe returning roll 64, whereby a reversal of the direction of movementof the billet is effected. Upon this reversal of movement taking place,the billet travels back again down the table 61, but, when moving in thenew direction, its end rides up the chute plate 70 and is therebydirected to the upper pass d between the strand rolls B and B The billetis then carried through these strand rolls, thereby effecting its eighthpass.

In order to permit the second pair of passes a to be used in place ofthe first pair of passes 03, when the latter become worn, the chuteplate 70 is mounted upon the support 69, in such a manner that it can beeasily moved from one side of such support, in which it coiiperates withthe passes d of the strand rolls, to the other side of the support, inwhich it eoiiperates with the passes e of the strand rolls. The guides57 and 72 are likewise movable; and the pinch rolls 65 and 66 are wideenough to accommodate the billet through which ever pair of passes it isbeing carried. When the passes (i become worn, all that is necessary isto shift the guides 57 and 72, and move the chute plate 70 to the otherside of the support 69.

As the billet emerges from the upper pass 03 of the strand rolls, itcomes upon a table 73 which extends diagonally across the machine from aosition in line with the strand rolls to a position in line with thefinishing rolls G. This table is of a sectional nature and is providedwith a vertical guide flange 74 along its inner edge. Extending from thetable 73 are transverse rails 75, terminating in inclined portions 76,these rails being of a similar nature to the rails 51, with theirnclined portions 54, described above. The lnclined ortions 76 oftherails terminate upon a eed table 77 which is dis osed in alinement withthe finishing rolls Upon the billet, now in the form of a very long andthin plate, emerging from the upper pass onto the table 73 it ismanually pulled across the rails 75 and down the inclined portions 76,onto the feed table 77. The upper surface of the feed roll 58 projectsthrough the table 77 in the same way as it projects through the table55, and with this feed roll cotiperates a pinch roll 78, which may bebrought down into engagement with the billet to press the latter againstthe feed roll. When the pinch roll 78 is thus brought into engagementwith the billet, the feed roll moves the billet forward between thefinishing rolls C, through which it is carried, thus making its ninthpass. Upon emerging from the finishing rolls C, the billet comes upon aroll table 79, from which it is carried to a suitable shearing device.

The means for operating the pinch rolls 59 and 78 is shown in Fig. 8.Taking the pinch roll 78, this roll is mounted upon an arm 80 carried bya rockable shaft 81. The shaft 81 is connected, by means of a crank 82and link 83 with a head 84 mounted on the rod 85 of a piston 86. Thepiston 86 reciprocates in a steam cylinder 87, which is governed by aslide valve 88. The slide valve 88 is connected by means of a link 89with an operating lever 90. When the operating lever 90 is in theposition shown in the figure, the piston 86 will be forced to the rearof the cylinder, thereby moving the crank 82 backward, and lifting thepinch roll 78 out of operative relation with the feed roll 58. When theoperating lever 90 is shifted into its opposite position, the steam willbe admitted behind the piston 86, thereby forcing the latter, and itsrod 85, forward and causing the pinch roll 78 to descend into operativerelation with the feed roll 58. The mechanism for operating the pinchroll 59 is the same as that which has 59, or the lever wet beendescribed for operating the pinch roll 78, and is governed by anoperating lever 91. In practice, a workman will be assigned to thesepinch rolls; and he can operate either the lever 91, for the pinch roll90 for the pinch roll 78, in accordance with the position of-the billetsin the machine.

The rolling mill described above is particularly advantageous in that itpermits of a continuous movement of the billet from the time the latteris placed onto the ori inal feed rolls until after it passes thefinishing rolls. Special elevating devices, requiring tobeoperatedindividually for each billet, for lifting the billet from the plane ofthe lower rolls to the plane of the upper rolls, are done away with; andin this way the speed at which the machine can operate is greatlyincreased. Likewise, the necessity of personal supervision at thevarious stages of the operation is considerably reduced. A furtheradvantage of the device is that the jolting of the billets, especiallyat the times when they fall-from the upper plane to the lower plane,owing to the action of the transferring devices 26 and 26 results in aloosening of the scale permitting the scale to fall away from thebillets to a large extent.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a rolling mill, the combination with a set of rolls comprisingthree rolls having a pass between the lower pair and a pass between theupper pair, of a device for changing the direction of movement of thebillet coming through the lower pass and causing it to return throughthe upper pass, said device including forwarding rolls, returning rollsbeyond said forwarding rolls, other returning rolls disposed above saidforwarding rolls, and a buffer disposed be yond said first-namedreturning rolls.

2. In a rolling mill, the combination with a set of rolls comprisingthree rolls having a pass between the lower pair and a pass between theupper pair, of a device for changing the direction of movement of thebillet coming through the lower pass and causing it to return throughthe upper pass, said device including forwarding rolls, returning rollsbeyond said forwarding rolls, other returning rolls disposed above saidforwarding rolls, guide rolls for directing the billet to thesecond-named returning rolls, and a buffer disposed beyond saidfirstnamed returning rolls.

3. In a rolling mill, the combination with a set of rolls comprisingthree rolls having a pass between the lower pair and a pass between theupper pair, 'of a device for changing the direction of movement of thebillet coming through the lower pass and causing it to return throughthe upper pass,

said device including forwarding rolls, re-' turning rolls beyond saidforwarding rolls, other returning rolls disposed above said forwardingrolls, and a longitudinally adjust-- able resilient buffer disposedbeyond said first-named returning rolls.

4. In a rolling mill, the combination with a set of rolls comprisingthree rolls having a pass between the lower pair and a pass betweentheupper pair, of a device for changing the direction of movement of thebillet coming through the lower pass and causing it to return throughthe upper pass, said device including a forwarding roll cooperating withthe -pass of said lower pair of rolls, a returning roll cooperating withthe pass of said upper pair of rolls, and another returning roll beyondsaid forwarding roll and located on a horizontal plane between thehorizontal planes of said forwarding roll and said first-named returningroll.

5. In a rolling mill, the combination with a set of rolls comprisingthree rolls having a pass between the lower pair and a pass between theupper pair, of a device for changing the direction of movement of thebillet coming through the lower pass and causing it to return throughthe upper pass, said device including a forwarding roll cooperating withthe pass of said lower pair of rolls, a returning roll cooperating withthe pass of said upper pair of rolls, another returning roll beyond saidforwarding roll and located on a horizontal plane between the horizontalplanes of said forwardin rolland said first-named returning roll, an abuffer disposed beyond said second-named returning roll.

6. In a rolling mill, the combination with a set of rolls comprisingthree rolls having a pass between the lower pair and a pass between theupper pair, of a device for changing the direction of movement of thebillet coming through the lower pass and causing it to return throughthe upper pass, said device including a forwarding roll cooperating withthe pass of said lower pair of rolls, a returning roll cooperating withthe pass of said upper pair of rolls, another returning roll beyond saidforwarding roll and located on a horizontal plane between the horizontalplanes of said forwarding roll and said first-named returning roll, anda guide roll for directing the billet to said first-named returningroll.

7. In a rolling mill, the combination with a set of rolls comprisingthree rolls having a pass between the lower pair and a pass between theupper pair, of a device for changing the direction of movement of thebillet coming through the lower pass and causing it to return throughthe upper pass, said device including a forwarding roll cooperating withthe pass of said lower pair the pass of said upper pair of rolls,another returning roll beyond said forwarding roll and located on ahorizontal plane between the horizontal planes of said forwarding rolland said first-named returning roll, a longitudinally adjustableresilient buffer disposed beyond said second-named returning roll, and aguide roll for directing the blllet from said second-named returningroll to said first-named returning roll.

8. In a rolling mill, the combination with a set of rolls comprisingthree rolls having a pass between the lower pair and a pass between theupper pair, of a device for changing the direction of movement of thebillet coming through the lower pass and causing it to return throughthe upper pass, said device including a plurality of forwarding rollscooperating with the pass of said lower pair of rolls, said forwardingrolls being disposed .in an upwardly extending plane, a returning rollbeyond said forwarding rolls, means for directing the billet from saidreturning roll to the pass between said upper pair of rolls, and abuifer disposed beyond said returning roll.

9. In a rolling mill, the combination with a set of rolls comprisingthree rolls having a pass between the lower pair and a pass between theupper pair, of a device for changing the direction of movement of thebillet coming through the lower pass and causing it to return throughthe upper pass, said device including a plurality of forwarding rollscooperating with the pass of said lower pair of rolls, said forwardingrolls being disposed in an upwardly extending plane, a returning rolldisposed above said forwarding rolls, a returning roll disposed beyondsaid forwarding rolls, and a bulfi'er beyond said second-named returningr0 1.

10. In a rolling mill, the combination with a set of rolls comprisingthree rolls having a pass between the lower pair and a pass between theupper pair, of a device for changing the direction of movement of thebillet coming through the lower pass and causing it to return throughthe upper pass, said device including a plurality of forwarding rollscooperating with the pass of said lower pair of rolls, said forwardingrolls being disposed in an upwardly extending plane, a returning rolldisposed above said forwarding rolls, a returning roll disposed beyondsaid forwarding rolls, means for guiding the billet from saidsecondnamed to said first-named returning roll, and a longitudinallyadjustable resilient? buffer beyond said second-named returning roll.

11. In a rolling mill, the combination with a set of rolls comprisingthree rolls havin a pass between the lower pair and a pass be tween theupper pair, of a device for changing the direction of movement of thebillet coming through the lower pass and causing it to return throughthe upper pass, said device including means for moving the billetforward from the said lower pair of rolls to a higher plane, means formoving the billet into said upper pair of rolls, and means, disposedintermediate the horizontal planes of said first and second-named means,

for directing the billet to said second-named into said upper pair ofrolls, and means,

disposed intermediate the horizontal planes of said firstandsecond-named means, for directing the billet to said second-named means.

13. In a rolling mill, the combination with a set of rolls comprisingthree rolls having a pass between the lower pair and a pass between theupper pair, of a device for changing the direction of movement of thebillet coming through the lower pass and causing it to return throughthe upper pass, said device including continuously rotating means formoving the billet forward from the lower pair of rolls to a higherplane, means, disposed above said first-named means, for moving thebillet into said upper pair of rolls, and continuously rotating means,disposed intermediate the horizontal planes of said firstandsecond-named means, for directing the billet to said second-named means.

14:. In a rolling mill, the combination with a set of rolls comprisingthree rolls having a pass between the lower pair and a pass between theupper pair, of a device for changing the direction of movement of thebillet coming through the lower pass and causing it to return throughthe upper pass, said device including a forwarding roll, a secondforwarding roll beyond the first, a returning roll beyond said secondforwarding roll, a second returning roll above said first forwardingroll, a pair of movable pinch rolls cooperating with said secondforwarding roll and said first returning roll respectively, according tothe positions to which said pinch rolls are moved, and means foroperating said pinch rolls.

15. In a rolling mill, the combination with a set of rolls comprisingthree rolls having a pass between the lower pair and a pass between theupper pair, of a device for changing the direction of movement of the Intestimony whereof, we, the said WIL- 10 billet commg through the lowerpass and LIAM J. HAMPTON and WILLIAM H. Rrrrs, causing it to returnthrou h the upper ass, have hereunto set our hands.

said device includin a iorwardin ro a i returning roll beyond saidforwarding roll,

a second returning roll above said forwarding roll, and a pinch rollmovable into and Witnesses:

out of operative relation with said first re- J. N. COOKE, turning roll.A. D. P. MILLER. v

